Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Key. Lime. Pie. Cinnamon. Rolls. 

Clearly, Andrea Yacyk of Sebastian, Florida, who invented this Pillsbury Bake-Off finalist recipe, is my sister from another mister. Says she, "Cinnamon rolls just got rolled up with white chocolate and lime for a tasty citrus breakfast treat."

Say I, "make way for a minefield of magic."

Here's the recipe. It yields 5 rolls.

Key Lime Pie Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

• 1 can Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Supreme refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 1/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon grated Key lime peel
• 1/2 cup white baking chips
• 1 tablespoon Key lime juice
• 1 Key lime, sliced, if desired

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper or lightly spray with Crisco® Original No-Stick cooking spray.
2. Remove dough from can; do not separate dough into rolls. Reserve icing. Unroll cinnamon roll dough on waxed paper. Sprinkle dough evenly with 1/4 cup of the graham cracker crumbs, lime peel and white chips; lightly press chips into dough. Reroll dough; using perforations, separate into 5 rolls. Place, cut side up, two inches apart on cookie sheet.
3. Bake 12 to 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in small bowl, combine reserved icing and lime juice; stir until well blended. Drizzle icing over warm rolls. Sprinkle tops with remaining graham cracker crumbs. Garnish with lime slices. Serve warm.

Well Bread: SpyMom's Favorite Irish Soda Bread Recipe

When it came time, recently, for SpyMom to make Irish Soda Bread for our family St. Patrick's Day Party (which takes place on the same day as the Belmar St. Patrick's Day Parade, which is often a few weeks before the big day, but I digress), she wanted to find a new recipe. A good recipe. And so she took the same route I would, by looking on the internet for recipes, and then choosing one to try based on which picture looked best. Yup, pretty much what I would have done. 

But luckily, she was rewarded: she found this recipe, and I'm so glad she did. This Soda bread, devoid of caraway seeds (and that's just fine with me) is tender and moist, almost scone-like in consistency, just lightly sweet, and simply sublime just out of the oven and topped liberally with sweet, creamy butter. 

Want to know how to have some in your own home? Here it is, SpyMom's new favorite recipe for Irish Soda Bread!

Ingredients

• 4 to 4 1/2 cups flour
• 2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 4 Tbsp butter, cubed
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 3/4 cups buttermilk

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Whisk together the 4 cups of flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. Using clean fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the flour, mixing until it resembles a coarse meal, then stir in the raisins.
2. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture. Pour the beaten egg and buttermilk into the well, and combine with a wooden spoon until the dough is too stiff to stir. Dust your hands with flour, then gently knead the dough- just enough to form a rough ball. If the dough is too sticky to work with, add in a little more flour. Do not over-knead! Your bread could become tough if you over-work it. The dough will be a little sticky, like biscuit dough.
3. Transfer the dough to a floured baking sheet and shape into a round loaf. Using a serrated knife, score top of dough about an inch and a half deep in an "X" shape. 
4. Bake until the bread is golden and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped, about 35-45 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a long, wooden skewer into the center of the loaf. If it comes out clean, it's done. If the crust gets too dark while baking, tent the bread with aluminum foil. Serve warm. 

Sweet and Salty: Mini Maple Spam Doughnuts Recipe for Serious Eats

Recently, someone called me on behalf of SPAM and asked if I'd like to have a peek at the prize-winning recipe from a contest they hosted last year in celebration of the meaty morsel's 75-year anniversary.

Naturally the answer was yes. But my interest was even more piqued when I learned that the winning recipe was for Mini Maple Spam Doughnuts, a sweet concoction created by Jason Munson; Seattle-area aircraft mechanic by day, SPAM enthusiast by night. And so I went to the grocery store, loaded up on SPAM, and hit the kitchen.

Like so many guilty-pleasure treats, Mini Maple Spam Doughnuts taste way better than they really should. The lightly crunchy, sweet doughnut exterior contrasts with the crisp, crackly fried pork. Finished with a creamy, maple-infused frosting and crunchy SPAM bits on top, it makes for a veritable sea of contrasting textures and sweet and salty flavors—and for an overall wholly enjoyable holey treat.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Cappuccino Toppers Recipe

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

File under "adorable": mini cups of cappuccino cream! They may resemble mini cups with a cappuccino topping, but rest assured, they're all delectable dessert! "It's a dessert-tray must have - little cookie cups of creamy coffee and chocolate filling. Pillsbury cookies make it so easy!", says recipe creator Dawn Onuffer of Crestview, FL.

Ingredients

• 1 package Pillsbury® Ready to Bake!™ refrigerated oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
• 1 package (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
• 1/3 cup sugar 3tablespoons instant cappuccino coffee mix
• 1 1/2 cups frozen (thawed) whipped topping (4 oz)
• 1/4 cup Hershey’s mini chips semi-sweet chocolate baking chips
• 2 tablespoons chocolate sprinkles

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 48 mini muffin cups with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Cut each cookie in half; press each half into bottom of mini muffin cup.
2. Bake 6 to 9 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 10 minutes in pans. With knife, remove cookies from pans to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and cappuccino mix with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Gently fold in whipped topping and mini chips.
4. Spoon or pipe mixture onto each cookie (if piping, fit decorating bag with star tip with 3/4-inch opening). Top each with sprinkles. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Store covered in refrigerator.

Unusual and Quirky Recipes

Bacon cinnamon rollsBehemoth crumb cakeBiscuits with chocolate gravyBiscuits with sugar butterBlack and white cookie ice cream sandwichesBonbon Jovi TrufflesCadbury Creme Egg Foo Young

Cadbury creme egg salad

American flag cakeCake that looks like blueberry pie

Candy corn Boston Cream Pie

Candy corn popcorn balls

Chocolate Covered Cake on a stick

Chocolate covered candy canesChocolate covered chocolates

Chocolate covered cheetosS'mores pop tart drop cookiesChocolate filled pretzel nuggetsCinnamon rolls stuffed with chocolate chip cookie doughCircus animal cookie truffles

Chocolate dipped peanut butter empanadas

Chocolate salted caramel lollipopsChocolate peanut butter fudge in the microwaveChristmas cookie cocktailsChoco nachos

Cookie Cake PieSugar cookies that look like doughnuts

DIY Conversation TartsCupcake cream pie

Cupcakes in mason jars

Deep fried cupcakes on a stickDeep-fried halloween candyDeep fried swiss rolls on a stickDeviled cadbury creme eggsDonut hole blondies

Donut pies

Doughnut soupDoughnut upside-down cakeEaster candy choco tacosFrench toast parfait cupsFunfetti cake batter wrapped in foil and baked in the toaster ovenFunfetti pancakes made with cake mix

Grilled pound cake

Homemade honeycomb

Homemade pop-tarts

Ice cream cone cupcakes

Ice cream and frosting pie

JagerdoodlesKebabka (Babka kebabs)Leftover jellybean pop-tarts

Magic cookie bar pieMagical princess cupcakes

Mega Fun Size candy bar

Mini maple spam doughnuts

Star wars lego cookiesPeanut butter "chips" with jelly salsaPeanut butter popcorn clusters

Peeps dumplingsPeeps fluffernutterPound cake sandwiches

Pumpkin bread stuffed with cookie dough

Pumpkin cake in a mug in the microwavePumpkin pie milkshake

Rice Krispie Deep Dish "Pizza"Salad dressing cakeS'moreosS'mores with s'more pop-tartsSnickerdoodle whoopie pie stuffed cinnamon roll

Stuffed funfetti cake ball truffles

"Sushi" cake ball trufflesTurkey made from savory thanksgiving leftovers

Tortilla torteTricked out trix treatsDoughnuts that look like bagels with cream cheeseVelveeta fudgeWatermelon pudding in a watermelon shell

S'mores shortcakes recipe

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Vanilla-Malt-Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Salt and sweet: better together. Proof is evident in this recipe for Vanilla-Malt-Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt, in which, according to recipe creator and Bake-off finalist Valerie Schucht of Glastonbury, CT: "Sea salt is the key to taking sweet sugar cookie bars to sensational, sweet-and-salty treats."

Here's the recipe.

Vanilla-Malt Toffee Triangles with Sea Salt

Ingredients

• 1 roll Pillsbury® refrigerated sugar cookie dough
• 1/2 cup original-flavor malted milk powder
• 1can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 egg
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 1 bag (8 oz) Heath Bits 'O Brickle toffee bits
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Let cookie dough stand at room temperature 10 minutes to soften. Line bottom and sides of 13x9-inch pan (dark pan not recommended) with foil, extending foil 2 inches over short sides of pan. Spray foil with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In large bowl, break up cookie dough. Add 1/4 cup of the malted milk powder. Mix with wooden spoon or knead with hands, until well blended. Press dough evenly in bottom of pan.
3. Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until crust is light golden brown and puffed.
4. Meanwhile, in same bowl, beat condensed milk, remaining 1/4 cup malted milk powder, egg and vanilla with wire whisk until blended. Stir in 1/3 cup of the toffee bits. Carefully pour mixture over partially baked crust.
5. Bake 18 to 23 minutes or until edges are golden brown and filling is set. Remove from oven; sprinkle evenly with remaining toffee bits. Bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes or until toffee bits just begin to melt. Sprinkle bars with sea salt. Cool completely, about 1 hour 30 minutes.
6. Remove bars from pan using edges of foil as handles. Cut into 4 rows by 3 rows. Cut each bar in half diagonally to form triangles. Store loosely covered.

Bread, doughnut, and other Carbohydrate-y Recipes

Bacon-date scones with marmalade glaze

Banana bread with chocolate chips (not health food)Banana Maple Pancake Muffins

Banana skillet muffins

Biscuit cinnamon rollsBiscuits with chocolate gravyBiscuits with sugar butterButtermilk biscuit recipe from Macrina BakeryButternut squash brunch braidCitrus buttermilk raisinet muffinsChocolate babka

Chocolate caramel cinnamon roll skewers

Chocolate cherry stuffed French toastCinnamon rolls stuffed with chocolate chip cookie doughCoconut almond doughnut pop-ems

Coconut French toast with bananas fosterCoffee Spanish Torrijas

Cookies n cream sconesCranberry orange baklava pinwheels

Unicorn shaped doughnuts

Truly enormous cinnamon rollFig panettone bread puddingFrench toast parfait cupsFunfetti pancakesHoney cream biscuits

Hot raisin breadIrish soda bread

Kebabka

Key lime pie cinnamon rolls

Kringle from Macrina BakeryGinberbreadGrilled cheesecakeMaple spam doughnutsPalmiers with pomegranate glazePeachy cream cheese appetizers

Pillsbury: easy sticky buns with fruit and nutsHomemade pop-tarts

 Pumpkin pull-aparts

Pumpkin "Ravioli" with salted caramel whipped cream

Pumpkin bread stuffed with cookie dough

Orange Marmalade Cornmeal muffins

White chocolate apple cinnamon roll bread pudding

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Salted Caramel Macaroons

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

 Don't think less of me, but I actually like macaroons better than macarons. Don't get me wrong: macarons are adorable, distinguished, sophisticated, and an artful baked good which I appreciate very much.

But when it comes to a cookie that satisfies, for me, I will take the lumpy macaroon any time.

But this version has a sort of pinkies-out twist: "Sea salt meets sweet treat in an updated classic coconut macaroon." It was created for the Pillsbury Bake-Off by Sarah Meuser of New Milford, Connecticut.

Salted Caramel Macaroons

Ingredients

• 1 can (14 oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 jar (12.25 oz) Smucker's® Caramel Ice Cream Topping
• 1 cup Pillsbury BEST® All Purpose Unbleached Flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons   Sea Salt
• 2 bags (14 oz each) shredded coconut
• 1 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking chips

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 325°F. Line 2 large cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper; spray with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray.
2. In large bowl, combine condensed milk, caramel topping, flour and 3/4 teaspoon of the sea salt; mix well. Stir in coconut, pecans and chocolate chips until well mixed.
3. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls 1 inch apart onto cookie sheets. Lightly sprinkle tops with remaining 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
4. Bake 15 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheets to cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes. Store in airtight container.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: White Chocolate and Apple-Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Let's talk about White Chocolate and Apple-Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding.

Or, better yet, let's not. Let's just make a big batch, put on a Lifetime Original and a pear of sweatpants, and enjoy the riches. Kidding. Sort of.

"Pillsbury cinnamon rolls jump-start a bread pudding with a creamy custard and rich white chocolate", says creator (and suspected genius) Antoinette Leal of Ridgefield, CT.

Here's how you make it at home.

White Chocolate and Apple-Cinnamon Roll Bread Pudding

• 1 can Pillsbury refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 1 12-ounce bag white baking chips
• 3cups half-and-half or heavy whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 Eggs, beaten
• 1 large Granny Smith apple, peeled, diced
• 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans

Garnish, if desired

• 1/2 cup sweetened whipped cream
• 8 Cinnamon Sticks
• 8 fresh mint sprigs

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 375°F. Spray 8 (10-oz) ramekins or custard cups with Crisco® No-Stick Cooking Spray with Flour. Place each roll, cinnamon topping up, into ramekin. Reserve icing. Place ramekins in large baking pan with sides.
2. Bake 11 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
3. Meanwhile, reserve 1/3 cup white chips for topping. To make custard, in 2-quart saucepan, combine remaining baking chips, half-and-half, vanilla and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, or until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; cool 5 minutes. Beat eggs into custard with wire whisk until blended.
4. Pour approximately 1/2 cup custard over each baked cinnamon roll. Let stand 10 minutes. Evenly top ramekins with remaining custard.
5. Bake at 375°F for 10 minutes or until eggs are starting to set.
6. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir together reserved icing, diced apple, ground cinnamon, pecans and reserved 1/3 cup white chips.
7. Spoon about 1/4 cup apple mixture over each cinnamon roll. Bake an additional 15 to 18 minutes or until filling has set and apples are tender. Remove from oven; let stand 15 minutes.
8. Garnish bread puddings with whipped cream, cinnamon stick and sprig of mint. Serve warm.

Pillsbury Bake-Off Countdown: Chocolate and Caramel-Cinnamon Roll Skewers

Image: Pillsbury Bake-OffCakeSpy Note: I am beyond ecstatic to announce that I have been invited as a media guest to the 45th Annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in Orlando, Florida! The event will take place in late March; til then, I am going to feature several of the sweets finalists here in anticipation of the big day!

Everything tastes better on a stick.

But some things on a stick taste better than others. For instance, Chocolate and Caramel-Cinnamon Roll Skewers. Do you really need to hear much more than the name to know what I mean?

This is a finalist in the Bake-off, created by Frances Blackwelder of Grand Junction, Colorado, who says "Do cinnamon rolls one better. Skewer them and drizzle with caramel, chocolate and icing for a most indulgent treat!".

Here's the recipe. 

Chocolate and Caramel-Cinnamon Roll Skewers

Ingredients

• 1can Pillsbury® Grands!® Flaky Supreme refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
• 5 (12- or 10-inch) wooden skewers
• 25 caramels, unwrapped (from 14-oz bag)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 3/4 cup Chopped Pecans
• 3/4 cup milk chocolate baking chips
• 1 teaspoon Vegetable Oil

Procedure

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line large cookie sheet with cooking parchment paper or spray with Crisco® Original No-Stick Cooking Spray. Separate dough into 5 rolls; reserve icing. Unroll each roll into a strip; thread each strip onto wooden skewer. Place on cookie sheet.
2. Bake 13 to 19 minutes or until golden brown. Place piece of waxed paper under cooling rack. Transfer skewers from cookie sheet to cooling rack.
3. Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan over low heat, heat caramels and milk, stirring occasionally, until caramels are melted. Place pecans on piece of waxed paper. Generously drizzle caramel mixture lengthwise over cinnamon roll strips; roll in pecans. Return to cooling rack.
4. In small resealable freezer plastic bag, place chocolate chips and oil; seal bag. Microwave on High 15 to 25 seconds or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until chocolate is smooth; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle chocolate crosswise over cinnamon roll strips.
5. Place reserved icing in small resealable freezer plastic bag; seal bag. Microwave on High 10 seconds or until softened. Gently squeeze bag until icing is smooth; cut off tiny corner of bag. Squeeze bag to drizzle icing crosswise over cinnamon roll skewers. Serve warm.